


Deals With The Devil

by Jai_l_Bird



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 11:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5046967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jai_l_Bird/pseuds/Jai_l_Bird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coming home didn't turn out the way Dick had planed it. When none of your friends have time to watch over your wasted self, whom do you turn to? God? No, Satan. Much better deals there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deals With The Devil

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for dragonofheaven07 during the Bat Family Christmas Exchange on livejournal in 2012. Thought I might as well upload it here so I finally get around to working on the next chapter...instead of forgetting about it :D  
> The pointing out of spelling mistakes is most welcome, since I'm not a native speaker :)

Later on he would blame it on too much alcohol. Which he then would equally curse and be glad for.

Richard Grayson had just learned that his heir to the pixie boots and scaly pants had died. Murdered by the Joker.

Not the kind of news you wanted to come home to. Bruce had literally pushed him away after telling him, leaving him to deal with it by himself.

So he had called half of his contacts but most of them were out saving the world. Something he would rather be doing right now as well but he just couldn't focus, not today.

He ended up with a six pack of beer, a bottle of whiskey and Zatanna sitting opposite to him on his couch, scolding him for getting wasted. When she was called to do some heroic deeds herself she said her goodbyes with a rather pitying look on her face due to his state of intoxication. 

Just a few seconds after she had left, Dick cursed her softly under his breath. The witch had turned his alcohol to water. How was he going to knock himself and his painful memories- of the brother he had lost- out now?

His gaze fell upon a book lying on his coffee table. That hadn't been there before. Zatanna had probably forgotten it. 

Curiosity killed the cat.. well in this case the bird. And after all it was her fault for leaving him, for leaving it with him. Maybe the ancient looking book had some advice for dealing with a death in the family.

Well…advice clearly wasn't what he had found.

Instead a strangely looking but well dressed man was dusting himself off, standing in the middle of the magic circle Dick had drawn rather sloppily on his living room floor.

Black thick long hair. Black clothes. Bright yellow eyes set in a striking but charming face. Strong, muscular but catlike lean.

"Seriously? Now?", a deep low voice snorted angrily. "My plans for the evening were so much more promising than this.", like his ongoing poker game with Lilith, Baal and Belial from which he was so forcefully summoned. But he couldn't entirely hide the smirk creeping on his face at the chance of corrupting a new soul.

Dick had seen a lot in his life as a vigilante but this was something different. A few chalk lines on a dusty floor, clumsy, drunken words and a burning wish to be reunited with a loved one could spark something so powerful, something so evil.

You could say many things about Dick Grayson but being at a loss for words wasn't one of them. Right now he was. 

That man... thing.. whatever, scared him. He felt even breathing was harder in his presence. At least Dick was instantly sober now.

Since he was doing such a great job impersonating a goldfish by opening and closing his mouth repeatedly it fell upon the newly arrived one to introduce himself.

"Yeah..yeah..I am Mephostophelis..one of the seven devils." A claw-like hand was waved as if to speed up the 'conversation'. 

"Why have you summoned me Adam's child?", annoyance was more than clear in his voice. Before the young man could so much as say a word the demon lifted his index finger. "Don't even think about asking why I am calling you that or bitching about your father's name not being Adam. I suggest you go read the bible, if you want those kind of answers." Children these days really didn't know jack.

By now Dick was highly confused about what exactly was happening here and he had to take a moment to collect himself.

Mephostophelis rolled his eyes and - with another seriously pissed off snort - turned his attention to the cards he was still holding. "I haven't got all night for your petty deal.", he informed him while studying his hand.

Dick had just about gathered his thoughts when a mischievous grin lighted up the devil's face. He walked up to his summoner seized him by the collar and pulled him the last few inches right up to his face. "Do you have a deck of cards somewhere?" Predatory gleaming eyes. Razor-sharp teeth. Smelled like sulfur. Dick pointed towards the top drawer of his dresser, speechless once again. The catlike figure dropped him to the ground and started ransacking said drawer, littering the ground around it with it's contents. To be able to do this he had stepped out of the magic circle. Dick's first words therefore were:" You.. can leave the circle? Shouldn't it ..I don't know..constrain you or something?" 

The answer was accompanied by a hoarse vibrating laugh: "One is not one of the seven for nothing. A little henchman, sure one of them would have been st…. Ah! Finally!", with card game in hand he turned around triumphantly. "You should seriously tidy up. It is nearly impossible to find something in this mess," the strange intruder complained while making himself at home on his worn down leather armchair.

By now the former Robin was so bewildered by this whole situation that he actually started cleaning up.

The demon happily throwing more and more cards on the ground surely didn't help with that either, muttering nonstop something along the lines of "Do not need it" "Has already been played”...

After picking up the fifth card that had carelessly been tossed to the ground, Dick's sanity and reason finally seemed to kick back in.   
"Wait a sec. This isn't right. This isn't why I summoned you."

Another vibrating laugh. Mephostophelis clapped his hands. "Well said birdbrain. Are you finally ready to talk some business?" Yellow eyes were piercing into blue ones.

"What is it you wish for?", the low voice wanted to know.

Pictures of his little wing came flashing before his mind's eye. Images of patrolling together, eating chili dogs, slow evenings in Wayne manor, some rare family time. "Jason..I want my baby brother back…", he managed to get out, his voice grief-stricken.

"What would you offer in return?", the deep voice almost purred.

_It is snowing in Gotham. They are chasing each other over the rooftops. Robin has dared Nightwing to catch him, if such an 'old former sidekick' is even able to keep up with him. Jason, reckless Jason. Always trying to prove something. The older vigilante has almost reached the kid, when suddenly he sees him slip on the icy balustrade of a particular high building. A muffled yelp and he is gone from his view._

_"Robin!", his heart just might have stopped for a beat or two. He is racing towards the edge only to find a smirking kid dangling on one hand looking at him. "Gotcha!"_

_"Damn. You really scared me back there. I thought I would find you as a bloodstain on the ground", he scolds the boy as he grabs his arm and pulls him back up. The chiding isn't really effective since he can't help smiling._

_"So? What's it to you if I live or die? What would you do if I had died?", ocean blue eyes stare up to him. Jason is pouting a little, trying to hide it under a smirk, but he mostly is curious why Dick even cares. "Anything. I'd do anything to get back my baby brother. You're family.", he informs him and ruffles his hair. "Now give me those cigarettes you were attempting to rescue from me." The thirteen-year-old growls but hands them over and the memory fades away…_

Dick could feel a wet tear on his cheek as he repeated those words from a long time ago. "Anything. I'd do anything to get Jason back."

"Anything", that inhuman voice said as well. "That is the kind of deal I like", now the devil was purring for sure, producing a knife from god knows where and cut the palm of his left hand. Before Dick had time to think about what he had just agreed to, his hand was in an iron grip, palm cut. Mephostophelis pressed their hands together, letting their blood mingle. It felt like putting an open wound in acid. Dick couldn't help giving a wince of pain but was determined not to let go of the others hand, determined to seal the deal....even though he could only guess how bad of a idea all of this was.

When the demon pulled back his hand was as good as healed.

"Pleasure doing business with you Richard John Grayson," the devil continued purring and showing a grin with way too many sharp teeth.

"I will let you know once I have decided, what I want from you exactly, but for now I believe you should check on your little brother or he will be wormfood real fast…again. There is only so much air in a coffin." Cackling laughter filled the room and followed Dick all the way out to his motorcycle.

Dark. Why was it so dark? He was scared. Panicking. Wanting to scream but his throat was all dried up. Only a whimpering sound escaped. Water. Only Darkness. Stuffy air. Breathing was hard. He clawed at the wood above. Fingernails broke. Kicked it punched it. Blood. Pain. Hot and burning pain. Sharp and piercing from splinters under his skin. Finally wood breaking. Mud falling down on him, getting in his mouth. Coughing. Couldn't think straight anymore. So scared but never willing to give up. Fighting for his life, as long as his body was still moving. Tore on the wood to make the opening bigger. No longer payed attention to cutting his hands deeper. Only wanted to get out. Digging through mud. So much of it. No air anymore. Started swallowing soil. Needed to breath. Fingertips were breaking free of it..only a few centimeters. No strength left ..not willing to give up.... so tired. Suddenly a firm grip on his arms. Warmth. Life. Someone pulling him up. Helping him. Finally air filled his lungs. coughing, breathing. Warm Arms around him. Trusted voice babbling. Safety. Family.

_Jason is running, jumping, trying to outsmart his predecessor. Stupid Nightwing has caught him smoking. Now he wants to confiscate his cigarettes. Well he isn't gonna get them without a fight. This cat and mouse game actually is kind of fun…well until he slips. Luckily he is able to grip onto one of the stones poking out of the building. A relieved sigh escapes him. That was close. But it makes him wonder what would have happened if he hadn't caught that brick on time. Would they miss him? He hears footsteps racing towards him. Well, he can still use this situation to his advantage. The mocking smirk is just in place when Dick's concerned face comes into view. "Gotcha!"_


End file.
